Ukraine: The Reality

The situation

Many of our clients wonder about the current situation in Ukraine and the potential impact it will have on our cooperation. Media tends to focus on the negative incidents and creates a false perception of instability and insecurity, that’s why we think it’s important to reassure our customers by providing our own take on the events.

As it stands, the crisis has largely spared the ever-growing Ukrainian IT sector that not only thrives but has warmly relocated many workers from affected regions.

In this article we aim to retrospectively analyze the situation and its current state, after a truce between the Russian-backed separatists and heads of leading European states has been signed in Minsk, as well as reasons why we think it’s safe to invest in a collaboration with a trusty Eastern-European partner such as us despite all the concerns.

What it’s like?

First, let us pinpoint the areas where conflict is still underway and their comparative size.

Pictured – areas currently under rebel control (as of the writing of this article) and the location of our offices in Ukraine.

A significant portion of the territory is engulfed in the fighting, yet it’s but a fraction of the overall area. A considerable distance of around 650 miles separates the front lines and the towns in the West of the country where we operate our business.

This area has stayed stable and did not expand, despite the countless units of manpower and weaponry operated by the aggressor.

What does this mean for you?

Working with us is safe, including in the long-term as our IT and software development outsourcing as is a highly flexible industry with lots of highly qualified specialists ready to pick up any work laid in front of them.

Even the state-wide mobilization didn’t affect this potential in any considerable way, with this wave currently underway with an approximate 50 thousand to be called to arms, many of whom volunteer. We have made all the necessary provisions in order to ensure uninterrupted service in any potential scenario.

Our developers are available for business travels all over the world to match the clients’ expectations, the borders are open and trade is actively underway.

Life in areas unaffected by the destabilizing effect of Russian arms, troops and propaganda is peaceful and with no notable changes in a workingman’s routine. Here’s what one of our developers at Letzgro had to say on the matter:
quote]If the conflict grows large enough to affect our local work here, it will concern the entirety of Europe and potentially more, as it will essentially be World War 3[/quote]

So, in fact, it’s the panic-mongering few that stir most of the trouble and contribute to the false rumors of instability in the sector. Despite the crisis, there’s no reason to doubt the willingness and readiness of our people to grow out of it developing only the best practices and delivering excellent service to our clients no matter what.

To give you some numbers Ukraine’s IT industry, over $5 billion in value, has over 500 outsourcing companies, over 100 global R&D centers, over 100 e-commerce companies and more than 2000 startups. More than 50,000 engineers are employed by Ukrainian IT firms all over the country.